My Favorite 50 Movies Of All-Time

50): Pearl Harbor:: A long, semi-interesting love story combined with incredible combat scenes. If they’d cut the love story down to a more manageable size this one might have moved up 20 spots.

49): Falling Down:: Michael Douglas’s character is a complete psycho but you can still relate to what he’s saying and doing. Like the promo says, “An everyday man (nut), at war with the everyday world”

48): The Blues Brothers:: Belushi & Ackroyd on a mission from God. One of the best of the old school comedies.

47): American Pie:: This one time at band camp…

46): Face-Off:: Travolta vs. Cage in a bizarre action movie where the good guy and bad guy switch places.

45): Tremors:: Finally, a movie where the people being chased by monsters act like normal human beings.

44): First Knight:: Connery and Gere do Arthurian legend.

43): Desperado:: The sequel to El Mariachi (which is good as well). An excellent & quite violent action romp.

42): Excalibur:: A gritty, brutish version of Arthurian Legend.

41): The Untouchables:: Costner takes down Capone during prohibition.

40): The Matrix:: Keanu’s best work since ‘Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.’ Everyone has been copying the action sequences from this movie.

29): There’s Something About Mary:: Outrageous and funny. Cameron Diaz and Matt Dillon make the movie.

28): The 5th Element:: One of my all-time favorite sequences is when Willis tells a group of aliens that he’s “coming in to negotiate.” Watch the rest of this sci-fi action movie to see the rest.

27): Caddyshack:: This is an older movie so some of the younger readers of RWN may not have seen it — but they fun. This movie features Bill Murray as well as Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield — when they were still funny.

by Sir John Hawkins

John Hawkins's book 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know is filled with lessons that newly minted adults need in order to get the most out of life. Gleaned from a lifetime of trial, error, and writing it down, Hawkins provides advice everyone can benefit from in short, digestible chapters.

25): Spaceballs:: A hilariously funny Star Wars Parody that I like better than the original movie.

24): The Princess Bride:: A funny, fantasy romp with great characters.

23): Gladiator:: The well told story of a Roman general who becomes a slave and yet is able to take on an emperor.

22): Independence Day:: The US saves the world — AGAIN!! Will Smith leads the charge against the aliens.

21): Swordfish:: If only we had a group of private citizens running around assassinating terrorists — but not robbing banks mind you. Travolta is on in this movie…

20): We Were Soldiers Once And Young:: This powerful and savage movie about Vietnam is the first of 4 movies from Gibson on the list. If this had been a top 60, Gibson would have had 5 movies on the list (Lethal Weapon and Payback would have made it).